DUNCAN GRANT OF ABERNETHY, YOUNGER OF FREUCHIE. MARGARET MACKINTOSH (OF MACKINTOSH), HIS WIFE. 1566-1582.
[155] DUNCAN GRANT, younger of Freuchie, predeceased his father, and there is little to be gathered from the muniments as to his history. To improve the position of the young Laird in the country, and to enable him to assist his father in the management of his extensive territories, and also probably as a provision on his marriage, John Grant of Freuchie, in or about the year 1565, provided his son Duncan to the lands of Abernethy. As has been shown in the Introduction, the Lairds of Freuchie held these lands on lease, so early as the year 1516. This is shown by series of discharges for £40 as the yearly rental of the lands granted by the Earls of Moray. In 1563 and 1564 the receipts for the rent of Abernethy are in name of John Grant, fourth of Freuchie; but the rent for Whitsunday and Martinmas 1566 is paid by Duncan Grant, younger of Freuchie, showing that he had entered into possession of the lands before that date. He occupied the lands of Abernethy during his life, and seems to have chiefly resided there.Highland raids were still of frequent occurrence in the time of the young Laird, and he and his father obtained a royal commission to deal with offenders. In 1569 Duncan Grant was associated with his father in a commission of justiciary by King James the Sixth, directed against sundry persons who had made a raid on the lands of Rothiemurchus and Glencarnie. The raiders had also killed a servant of Duncan Grant, and the latter, with his father, succeeded in apprehending several of the marauders. The king's commission of justiciary was necessary to enable the captors to do justice, that is, to hang their prisoners. Vol. iii. of this work, p. 138. The commission was dated at St. Andrews on 16th August 1569, and on the 2d September following Duncan Grant presented himself before the provost and baffles of Elgin, [156] with the commission in his hand, and desired them to take his oath of fidelity for execution of it, which was duly done.
Duncan Grant obtained a fifteen years' lease from the Earl of Athole of the Mains of Clawalg (Clava), Dalcroy, and Drumtaynwall, lying in the parish of Croy. The yearly rent is not stated, being rated according to use and wont. Original Lease, dated 20th March 1575, at Castle Grant. The lands of Clava had formerly been rented by Duncan's father for the sum of 40s. per annum. Vol. iii. of this work, p. 129.
The young Laird also maintained the connection of the family with the House of Huntly by transactions about lands. In 1577 Robert Douglas, Earl of Buchan, as donator of the ward of George, Earl of Huntly, gave to his "veil belovit freind" Duncan Grant, apparent of Freuchie, a lease of the Earl of Huntly's lands of Candillmoir and Culquheich, lying in the lordship of Strathavon and sheriffdom of Banff, with power of bailziery over the lands rented. The yearly rental to be paid during die lease or during the ward and non-entry of the Earl of Huntly was £17, 15s. 4d. in full of all dues from the lands. Original Lease, dated 22d June 1577, at Castle Grant.
About this time, also, Duncan Grant acquired the lands of Ardneidlie, Corsairtly, and Cowperhill, in the parish of Keith. They formed part of the possessions of the Earls of Huntly, but had been disponed to the family of Baillie, and subfeued by them to the Meldrums of Eden. William Baillie of Ardneidlie disponed the lands, on 3d April 1578, to Duncan Grant, who came to an arrangement with John Meldrum, then designed portioner of the Ord, on 28th August in the following year. The lands form the subject of a somewhat curious document, subscribed at Banff by Meldrum on the same day in which the arrangement was made for their alienation. In the document Meldrum says he had been informed, "be sinister report and informatioun," that John Grant of Freuchie, and Duncan Grant his son and apparent heir, were "participant of the spoilzies of horse, nolt, and scheip" from the lands of Ardneidlie and others, about midsummer and September respectively, in the year 1578. Acting on this information, Meldrum had raised a summons against the Grants, which had been duly executed, but he now asserted that "because it is cleirlie knawin to me sensyne that they ar [157] innocent, and na way was participant of the said spoilzies," he therefore. not being willing to "trowbill tharne be the law for the samyn," renounces all action against them in all time coming. Original Document at Castle Grant. After obtaining the lands the young Laird issued a warning against Thomas Meldrum and others, pretended tenants and occupiers of the lands of Corsairtly, Cowperhiil, and Ardneidlie, with the mills and mill lands, charging them to remove from these lands at the next term of Whitsunday, that his own tenants might peaceably enter and enjoy them. Original Warning, dated 24th February 1579, ibid. Ardneidlie and the other lands remained in the possession of the family of Grant until the year 1700, when they were disponed to Alexander Duff of Braco, ancestor of the Earls of Fife.
By resignation of John Grant, Laird of Corriemony, of the four merk lands of Corriemony and others into the hands of the Crown in his favour, Duncan Grant, apparent of Freuchie, added these lands also to the Grant estates. He received a charter of them under the Great Seal, Original Charter, dated 19th August 1580, ibid. and was duly infeft. The Laird of Corriemony, however, reserved his own liferent in the lands, and another part of the arrangement secured that the Laird of Freuchie would bestow upon him the half town and lands of Cluny, in the lordship of Badenoch and shire of Inverness. Original Paper at Castle Grant.
Duncan Grant, younger of Freuchie, died at Abernethy some time between 19th February and 1st May 1582. His will, of which only a copy, much mutilated, is preserved, was made at Abernethy on the first of these dates, and an inventory of his moveable goods was made on the 1st of May after his decease. lie seems indeed to have made two wills, or a short will and a long codicil, which is dated in March 1582. In his will he appointed his father, the Laird of Freuchie, and his wife, Margaret Mackintosh, his executors. In the codicil he bequeathed Ardneidlie to his second son, James, his silver work to his wife and children, with other legacies. the terms of which cannot be clearly ascertained, owing to the defaced condition of the document. Memorandum or Copy Will, Ibid. His property was not large, the "frie gear" amounting to £2 181, and the stock, corns, and inside plenishing are not extensive, as given in the inventory made after his death. vol. iii. of this work, pp. 155, 156. His remains [158] were buried in the family vault at Duthil, as is shown by the memorial stone of his parents, represented on a previous page.
Duncan Grant, younger of Freuchie, married Margaret, daughter of William Mackintosh of that Ilk, or of Dunachton. She survived him, and married a second time, before 1586, Alexander Gordon, younger of Abergeldie. She seems to have married, as her third husband, before 1604 William Sutherland of Duffus. Of the marriage of Duncan Grant and Margaret Mackintosh there was issue five sons and two daughters.
1. John, who succeeded his father in Corriemony, and his grandfather as Laird of Freuchie.
2. James, to whom his father bequeathed Ardneidlie. He was more commonly known as James Grant of Logie, and was ancestor of the Grants of Moyness, in the parish of Auldearn, Nairnshire.
3. Patrick. He received from his brother John, then Laird of Freuchie, a charter of the lands of Strome, which was confirmed by King James the Sixth. Original Charters, dated 10th July 1589 and 13th July 1593, at Castle Grant. He afterwards received the lands of Easter Elchies, and was the ancestor of the Grants of Easter Elchies, of whom a pedigree is given in this work.
4. Robert, who received from his brother, the Laird of Freuchie, in lease, the davach land of Clachaig, in the lordship of Abernethy Lease dated 7th June 1620, in Register of Leases, ibid. He was ancestor of the Grants of Lurg, of whom a pedigree is given in this work.
5. Duncan Grant of Dandaleith, in the parish of Rothes. He appears as a witness to several deeds between 1607 and 1616. He died before 24th February 1620, leaving two sons, John and James. His eldest son John succeeded him in Dandaleith.
1. Elizabeth, who married Alexander Cumming, younger of Altyre. Original Contract of Marriage, dated 27th April 1594, ibid.
2. Xxx, a daughter, name unknown, mentioned in her father's testament, but no other trace of her has been discovered.
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Volume 1 Chapter 11 |
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